Samsung could implement a pressure-sensitive display for the Galaxy S8

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S8 is going to be packed with new technology, and according to The Investor, one of those pieces of technology will be a pressure-sensitive display.

Details after the break.

This technology, known as Force Touch or 3D Touch from some competitors, would allow the display to watch for certain levels of pressure. Based on the level of pressure applied, the software would allow you to do some unique actions, such as zooming in or giving you quick access to app-specific features.

The Investor says this information came from an official from a Samsung supplier. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he says:

“Samsung is mulling to adopt the force touch technology partially from the S8 but the full adoption will come in one or two years. It is a matter of time before other major Android smartphone makers deploy the technology that will help enhance user interface.”

This pressure-sensitive technology definitely brings some new features to a smartphone, but application support has so far been pretty limited. Apple’s introduced its pressure-sensitive technology with the iPhone 6S and Huawei made its own available with the Mate S and P9 Plus.

And at this point, at least on Android, it’s fairly gimmicky. Since Samsung Display supplies most of Huawei’s pressure-sensitive displays, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Samsung adopt the technology itself, but let’s just hope they’re able to do it better than Huawei has. Zooming in on a photo with it isn’t necessarily what we’d call the crux of innovation.

The hope is that Samsung will be able to actually find a practical way to use this technology. And, of course, these are all rumors right now, so if something does come to fruition, we won’t see what it’s all about until the Galaxy S8 announcement at Mobile World Congress in February.

Brad is a tech enthusiast, writing and tinkering with all things technology since 2011. He currently bounces between the LG G3 and his beloved Moto X! His interests include reading, entrepreneurship, the gym, and of course, queso.